Fusing myths with our historical legacy, each major Indian dance tradition celebrates its rich histrionic artistry. Indeed, amidst the wonders of the earth, Indian classical dance in its entirety holds a seat of glory in the global forum of arts and aesthetics. And when an opportunity arrives to foray into this amazing world of art, we are left speechless by its grandeur. I too underwent such a delightful experience. The Avanthika National Dance Festival, a two day classical dance fest held in Thrissur in May with an aim to promoting the dance traditions as represented by the young talents, showcased in the six forms of margi dance styles, including the Satriya dance from Assam. I was overwhelmed when the invitation to represent the Satriya tradition came to me. And looking forward to some great experiences of learning and understanding, I stepped into ‘God’s own Land’, Kerala.

The festival began with a formal inauguration by Kuchipudi exponent Vyjayanthi Kashi and the evening commenced with a Mohiniattam performance by Krishnapriya. A backdrop of Lord Nataraja was set up and the Bharatha Temple stood behind the stage – creating, in a way, an aura of sanctity. And as the dancers entered the stage, they lost themselves in celebration of the aesthetic nuances of their art forms and depicted the means to attain freedom of the soul, free from all worldly attachments. Lavanya (Bharatanatyam), Sourav (Kathak), Vrata (Kuchipudi), Tanushree (Manipuri), Geetanjali (Odissi), Shree Laxmy (Kuchipudi) ably proved themselves as sincere devotees carrying forth the lamp of their glorious traditions. Each style, marked with grace, elegance and power, unveiled a world of ecstasy, where the audience savoured each rasa with relish.

The Satriya recital was scheduled for the second day. I wondered whether I could do justice to our hallowed tradition of Satriya, but the audience’s cheers overwhelmed me. I experienced a unique sense of joy and at that moment, I offered salutations to the great saints. I also remembered the maestros of our tradition and my Adhyapak Bayanacharya Ghanakanta Bora for their immense contributions towards the enrichment of our tradition and also for introducing and handing down the age-old tradition to beginners like us.

The trip also facilitated my getting introduced to some more young performers – Anil Iyer (Bangalore), Yael Tal (Israel), apart from the other dancers, who came to see the festival. I could even meet noted dance critic Shyamhari Chakra and had a lively interaction on various facets of Indian arts, music and dance in particular. I also met my old friend Kapila Venu (Kapila Chechi), a brilliant Kootiyattam dancer and her parents, Shri G Venu and Nirmala Paniker, renowned Kathakali and Mohiniattam exponents. The visit to their institution ‘Natanakairali’ was unforgettable. I saw an Arangetram (ritual Ranga Pravesh) of Kootiyattam presented by one of the disciples of ‘Natanakairali’. The percussive feats of Mizhavu and the ritual Vedic chants were fascinating. As I was watching the performance, my mind went back to the Asirvada ceremony I had years back, to mark my formal Ranga Pravesh. The transitory state of my mind further oscillated from the present and took me to the Satra environs amid the ritual of Mahala Diya, where the seniors scrutinize a disciple carefully and suggest steps to be taken for the Satra monk’s successful journey in the respective field of arts.

With these heartfelt experiences in Thrisssur, we left for Payannur en route to Kasaragod. The Folkland, a premier institution for the promotion of art traditions of Kerala, organised an event of cultural exchange where lecture demonstrations, followed by an interaction, were arranged. Kathakali exponent Sadanam Balakrishnan, Mohiniattam artiste Aruna Sunil and this humble learner were the participants of the programme. It was a genuine endeavour to promote Satriya dance.

Delivering my viewpoints in English, I tried to give an introduction of Satriya dance, highlighting its origin and growth, technique and repertoire and subsequent trends of development. The introductory sessions were followed by demonstrations in which three of us tried to show some of the traits of our dance form, starting right from breath control to the concluding rites. The interaction session was animated with the art lovers’ curiosity in knowing more of the Satra institutions, its way of life, impact of the British rule, role of women in Satra establishment, the social significance of the Naamghar-cum-theatre house, etc. Cherishing these moments, we moved to Kasaragod for another concert and the warm response from the audience made me feel truly blessed.

Nonetheless, this was only a little step. We’ve got more lessons to imbibe for a better understanding of the definition of an artist, their relation to the art, where a pure assimilation of individuality and social psyche takes place to bequeath an amount of commitment towards the art, paving the way for the growth of a responsible interpreter of a tradition and most importantly, a thorough aesthetic appraisal of our rich heritage.

Reminiscing on these wonderful experiences, we took our steps back home. And I returned with the solace of my mind perceiving some understanding of the finer aspects of Indian dance forms, nevertheless with a realization of the distance to be covered for a fruitful journey of my life.

Anwesa Mahanta